2024-04-09 03:01:00
Inflation in supermarkets and hypermarkets, in the mass consumption category, was 5.3 percent in March compared to the previous month. The measurement was carried out by the consulting firm Focus Market, specialized in the sector, and marked a clear slowdown compared to the dynamics of January and February. According to the consulting firm, cleaning and personal care product items increased well below average and led to a slowdown in general prices. Previously, between December and February they exceeded general inflation by 60 points, like toilet paper.
In February, inflation in mass consumption was 9.8 percent monthly and in January, 26.2 percent. Taking these figures into account, the slowdown observed in March was also pronounced. If this measurement, private and for an approximate set of 700 goods, follows the trend of official statistics, then a slowdown might be expected in the CPI that Indec will release this Friday. Private projections on average point to a maintenance of levels around February (13.2).
For Focus Market: “Inflation in mass consumption slowed in March to 5.3 percent due to the variation in prices to a lower level in the cleaning category, which increased 1.4 percent, and personal care, which increased on average 3 .5 percent. For its part, the average increase in food was 7.7 percent and beverages was 9 percent,” according to its director, Damián Di Pace.
Deodorants, bar soap and toilet paper were some of the products with price variations of less than 1 percent in the month. Disinfectants and fabric softeners grew 2 and 3 percent, respectively. And increases close to double digits were recorded in bleach (9.3), air freshener (10.6) and toothpaste (12.9 percent). Laundry detergent increased 31.3 percent, according to this survey, and is one of the products that rose the most during March.
The ranking of increases, the consulting firm maintains, was led by these items: eggs, which rose 44.2 percent, laundry detergent (31.3), yogurts (23.2), custards (22.7), butter ( 21), dulce de leche (19.5), grated cheese (18.3), leavening agents (17.3), coffee (15.2) and hair products (14.7).
On the other hand, the products that increased the most year-on-year (that is, between March 2024 and the same month of 2023) were: rice, with 555.7 percent, laundry detergent (522.3), canned goods (496.5), toothpastes (494.5), diapers (474.8), chocolates (473.7), air fresheners (465), fabric softeners (464.8), bleach (451.9) and salts (449.9). Many of the items that lead this group belong to the cleaning and personal care category, which stabilized in March.
Regarding the drop in sales in super and hypermarkets, the president of Focus Market said: “The drop in sales in mass consumption is leading to the presence of strong promotions, offers and discounts to move volumes of products that were in stock on shelves. deposit generating a cost to the food, beverage, cleaning and personal care items industry. For their part, categories such as rice, condiments, sugar, oil, among others, showed lower prices compared to the previous month, as a result of the sharp drop in sales due to a price level that is not accompanied by the income and demand of Argentines. At the same time, in April the correction of relative prices in the economy such as rates for public and private services will leave less room for price increases in goods in the economy in a context of falling retail sales.”
That is, a slower rate of increase in mass consumption prices is also expected in April, caused by the deterioration of domestic demand that will have to face the tariff increases. Thus, this report suggests that in April inflation in food, beverages and other essential items will weigh less versus the dynamics of rates for public services and other essential services, but the final effect of both price movements on retail inflation will be elucidated later.
On Friday the 12th, Indec will announce the result of inflation in March. The surveys of most consulting firms showed an increase in the CPI of between 11 and 13 percent last month.
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